How I Can Help You

I can help you at every stage of your author journey, from planning, writing and editing your manuscript, through to marketing the finished book.

Have a look at my services below, which are ordered chronologically for convenience. You can also take a look at my FAQs page, which has answers to the questions I am most commonly asked.

Need more information, or ready to work together? Get in touch today.

Writing Support

Brainstorming Call

Stuck in a deep plot hole that you’re struggling to dig your way out of?

Not sure what your main character can (realistically) do to get out of the pickle they’ve found themselves in?

Just wanting to think out loud about something you’re struggling with?

I’m here to brainstorm, bounce ideas off, and help you over whatever hurdle has brought your manuscript to a standstill, so we can get your writing back on track.

£30 for a 30 minute call

£50 for a 60 minute call

Author Accountability

We all need someone to keep us on track sometimes, so let me be there for you. I offer Author accountability check-ins via WhatsApp on a monthly rolling basis, to help keep you on track.

How does it work? Every week I’ll ask you to set a target for the week which is tailored to you and your manuscript — this could be a number of words you want to write, a particular chapter you want to edit, or even how many social media posts you want to write and schedule. We’ll check-in during WhatsApp several times during the week to see how you are getting on, and I’ll be here to cheer you on whenever you need me.

I strictly limit the number of authors I support with accountability checks to make sure I can give the best support possible. This is a new service coming in late-2024, so check back here for more details.

Editing Support

Manuscript Assessment

Not sure which service you need, or what your manuscript would benefit from the most? With so many editing options out there, I completely understand why it can be so confusing.

But don’t worry, I can help! I will read your full manuscript and provide a short report outlining the steps that I recommend you take next, taking into account your budget and timeframe.

I offer a manuscript assessment for a flat fee of £100 for up to 100,000 words, which will be deducted from the cost of any subsequent editing rounds booked within three months of receipt.

Manuscript Critique

A manuscript critique is perfect if you want to do the developmental editing stage yourself, but are looking for some guidance on the big-picture elements of the story like the plot, structure, pacing, characterisation, style, voice, tense and point of view. I’ll help you see what works, and what might need some attention.

Manuscript critiques will be send in the form of an editorial report, which is usually around 10-15 pages long. Critiques are prices at a flat rate of:

£300 for manuscripts up to 50,000 words

£500 for manuscripts from 51,000 to 100,000 words

Developmental Edit

A developmental edit (which is sometimes also called a structural or substantive edit) looks at the key components of your story. This includes plot, characters, structure, pacing, tense, and POV.

During a developmental edit I will also look at world-building, themes, timing, and any other relevant issues across your book as a whole.

Developmental editing doesn’t deal with spelling, punctuation or grammar (unless I spot a recurring error, in which case I will let you know).

A developmental edit may result in major changes to your manuscript such as moving chapters, rearranging sections, or even rewriting large areas of text.

Developmental editing starts from £20 per 1,000 words.

Line & Copy Edit

A line & copy edit is a combination of two different types of sentence-level edit. A line edit looks at your writing style, and a copy edit focuses more on the mechanics of writing.

This type of edit will focus on things like sentence structure and flow, word choice, dialogue, internal consistency clarity, punctuation and grammar.

This is my most popular editing service, and it’s probably right for you if you have already self-edited your manuscript and received feedback from beta readers who are familiar with your genre.

Line and copy editing starts from £15 per 1,000 words. I also offer a free sample edit of up to 1,000 words.

Proof Edit

A proof edit is a lighter-touch version of the traditional Line & Copy Edit, combined with a Proofread. It is the perfect option for authors on a tight budget and those who need a quick turnaround.

While I will look at the same things as I would in a line and copy edit (e.g. sentence structure and flow, word choice, etc.) I will only make the changes that are absolutely necessary — anything that is ‘good enough’ is left alone

Proof editing starts from £7 for 1,000 words. I also offer a free sample edit of up to 1,000 words.

Proofread

Proofreading is the final step in getting our manuscript ready to publish, and should be done after all your editing, beta reading and amendments have been made.

I will go through the last version of your manuscript with a fine tooth comb to catch any final pesky typos that have eluded you so far.

Proofreading starts from £4 for 1,000 words.

Marketing Support

Marketing Power Hour

I’m at your disposal for a whole hour to answer any questions you have about marketing your book. Need help setting up social media adverts? Want some guidance on how to create an audience persona? Not sure what to include in your author newsletter? This hour is tailored to you and the support that you need, so come prepared with as many ideas as we can work through in 60 minutes.

Please note, this service is for marketing support, I do not offer advice and support on finding an agent/publisher or on independently publishing your manuscript.

Marketing power hours are charged at a flat rate of £75 per hour.

TESTIMONIALS

Kind Words of Praise

Curious about what it would be like working with me? Check out these reviews from authors who have worked with me in the past.

Working with Granite Editorial was a breeze. This company was recommended by another editor who was unable to accommodate my needs, and Nicky was punctual, affordable and thorough. She provided excellent communication.

The edits were excellent and she reworked some jarring transitions to smooth them out.

I cannot imagine the number of hours she put into my manuscript, and I know it is a million times stronger because of her time, effort and skill.

E.D. Hackett

Nicky is a true homie. She got my manuscript back to me a couple days before the agreed upon deadline, and she was SO SO kind with her feedback and edits.

I 10/10 would recommend her services. I'm planning on hiring her again for my additional books.

Andrea Andersen

I hired Nicky to do a line edit and continuity/story cohesiveness edit with my novel. She did a fantastic job of this; she has an excellent understanding of a wide variety of English's language colloquialisms and was able to help me separate my British-isms for American-isms in writing. I absolutely would hire her again.

She also helped me see where I was going wrong with decisions in world to keep it all in the same voice. And she was able to separate the vast dialogue differences in my large cast of characters. I highly recommend her.

Nicole Lane